EPK – Altersoul – Abandoned (2026) (single)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarealtions[.]com
“This single is a re-recording of a very early track from the previous iteration of this band, under the name ‘Ominous Eclipse’. It comes from that band’s debut album more than a decade ago, when studio quality wasn’t as high. As a tribute to a member who passed away, as a treat for fans of Ominous Eclipse, and as the first time this song has been recorded with real drums and real orchestral elements, we expect fans will be happy to hear these songs finally get the treatment they deserve. With this single, we are introducing ourselves with a piece of our past to showcase where we came from and who we are now.” – James, Guitar/Vocals – Altersoul
For fans of Death, Revocation, Gojira, Children of Bodom, Opeth
Altersoulband.com | Facebook.com/altersoulband | Youtube.com/@altersoulband | Instagram.com/altersoul.band
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Band: Altersoul
Single Title: Abandoned (Single)
Length: 5:25
Release Date: May 5th (streaming), Video August 13, 2026
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: Distrokid
Genre: Death Metal
Location of Band: Brockville, ON
Single Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Graham Murphy, James Close, Evan Ferguson, Andrew Poskus
• All songs written by: Graham Murphy, James Close
• Produced by: James Close
• Mixed by: James Close
• Mastered by: James Close
• Album Artwork by: Max Southwood and Altersoul
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
Band Line-up:
Graham Murphy – Guitar/Vocals
James Close – Guitar/Vocals/Additional Instruments
Evan Ferguson – Bass
Andrew Poskus – Drums
Additional Guest Recording:
Wenhao Zhou – Piano
Heather Istead – Oboe
Live Band Line-up:
Graham Murphy – Guitar/Vocals
James Close – Guitar/Vocals
Evan Ferguson – Bass
Theo Konrad – Drums
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About The Single Artwork:
[James, Guitar/Vocals] The lyrics of ‘Abandoned’ tell of a man left behind by his loved ones to freeze to death in a barren snowy landscape, and the final moments of the composition represent his last peaceful breath, when acceptance takes over. When creating the artwork for this track, we chose to focus on the serenity of the nature scene he spends his final moments in, showing the northern lights above him, the trees surrounding him, and the footsteps that led him to his final place where he will become one with nature.
About The Single (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
[Graham, Guitar/Vocals] This single is a symbolic debut for us in that it is a re-recording of a song from our past, which also happens to be the oldest composition in our catalogue. It was created as an acoustic guitar piece I wrote around 2009-2010. I remember being heavily influenced by the Norwegian black metal band ‘Immortal’, having just picked up their album ‘All Shall Fall’, which was released around that time. Inspired by that sound, I picked up my cheap acoustic (which can be seen in the music video) and wrote the main guitar part. Years later, when ‘Ominous Eclipse’ was being formed, I arranged the other instruments and made it a full band composition, which was featured on our album ‘End of Days’. When re-branding as Altersoul, we chose this as our first single. The core composition and lyrics remain unaltered other than a slight timing adjustment at the beginning to add anticipation. James arranged additional orchestral instruments that he recorded either himself (plus some by guest musicians), and engineered the track, performing the mixing and mastering. Lyrically, I envisioned a cold and barren climate, devoid of warmth or life, which stems from its black metal influence.
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BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:
1. This single features our friend and guest Andrew Poskus on drums, who was the original drummer for Ominous Eclipse. Back then, we relied on programmed drums for our releases. His first release for the band, surprisingly, happened a decade after leaving the band.
2. The acoustic guitar seen in the music video for Abandoned was the one it was written on by Guitarist/Vocalist Graham Murphy. Originally purchased for about $75 from the now-defunct ‘Pete’s Music Exchange’ in our hometown of Brockville, ON.
3. The first release of this song was from Ominous Eclipse’s first album, ‘End of Days’, which is a masterclass in how not to record an album. The guitar parts were recorded in one day, and the vocal parts were recorded on another day. The final note in the solo of this version of ‘Abandoned’ was punched in the next day, using a Telecaster tuned to standard tuning.
4. When we were first starting as ‘Ominous Eclipse’, our rehearsal space was in the basement of James’s father’s house. Now our main rehearsal and studio space is in James’s (and Evan’s) Attic, in a studio now referred to as ‘The Crack Attic ’, full of instruments. The orchestral parts heard are real instruments recorded by the members of the band.
5. The band’s creations are (so far) 100% DIY, with all recording, mixing, artwork, and video done by ourselves.
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L-R: Theo Konrad (drums), James Close (guitar & vocals), Graham Murphy (guitar & vocals), Evan Ferguson (bass)
Altersoul is a four‑piece metal band from Brockville, Ontario, formed by longtime collaborators James Close (Guitar/Vocals) and Graham Murphy (Guitar/Vocals) after more than a decade performing together as Ominous Eclipse. Joined by Evan Ferguson (Bass) and Theo Konrad (Drums), the band carries forward the spirit of their former project while forging a new identity shaped by loss, evolution, and a renewed creative vision.
Following the passing of founding Ominous Eclipse bassist Ryan Clements in 2024, Altersoul was born as a tribute and a rebirth, its name derived from Alter Sol, “A New Sun.” Musically, the band blends death metal, tech‑death, thrash, black metal, folk/viking metal, progressive metal, and doom, creating a sound that Graham describes as Authentic, Diverse, Volatile, Inspired, and Layered. Their influences range from Opeth and Gojira to Children of Bodom and Mastodon.
Entirely self‑produced, Altersoul records real orchestral instrumentation, engineers their own mixes, and builds custom light shows for their performances. Their debut single, “Abandoned,” re‑imagines the earliest composition in their catalogue with modern production, real drums performed by original Ominous Eclipse drummer Andrew Poskus, and expanded symphonic arrangements. With multiple albums’ worth of unreleased material, Altersoul enters its new era by honouring its past while revealing the depth of what comes next.
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